New VW Beetle: Buyers' verdict

15 February 2013Ben Smithurst

Considering its infamous birth as Hitler’s ‘‘people’s car’’ in the 1930s, the fact that the new Beetle’s main selling point is nostalgia says a lot about its fortunes in the following decades. Its body shape is arguably the most recognised in the history of motoring.

The air-cooled, rear-engined Bug was produced for seven decades. More than 21 million were sold. It developed an iconic, if not quite legitimate, reputation for greatness.

In 1997, VW released a curiously too-cute update, the New Beetle. It had a muchmaligned option of a small vase mounted on the dash and an odd double-ended shape; like a Pushmi-Pullyu, it was hard to tell the front end from the back. The 2013 iteration is different – where it counts. While more variants and larger engines are available overseas, Australia gets a 1.4-litre twincharger (supercharged and turbocharged) four-cylinder TSI only, with 118kW and 240Nm.

But with VW’s legion of Polo and Golf variants so strong, the new (not New) Beetle has to appeal to a small, hard-to-naildown slice of the market.

Drive had three drivers who fit the bill give their verdict.

Elvis Jovanov, 35, Beetle enthusiast

Jovanov’s Beetle fetish dates from his teens. An aircraft maintenance engineer by trade, Jovanov restores his cars himself. He arrived in a lovingly restored 1956 Beetle, which is just one of two classic Bugs he owns.

‘‘The old New Beetle – the one with the vase – is looked down upon by owners of the classic Bug. At first, I liked the fact that they’d brought a new one out and retained the shape. But the more time I spent with it, the less I liked it. It had lost the original feel of the first Beetle. VWhad got it wrong. It didn’t evoke any nostalgia.

‘‘But I love this. It looks like a Porsche from behind, and I can see Audi influences in the bodywork. I really like the roofline, and the wheels – they’re reminiscent of the Porsche’s Fuchs wheels.

VW Beetle

‘‘I like how the front is a little more square in comparison to the New Beetle; it reminds me of the Superbug.

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‘‘This looks like a Beetle, and that’s because it’s got that old, unique shape that everyone likes. We’ve sold almost 22 million Beetles. That’s one of the reasons that I bought my ’56. They’re unique. The shape stands out.

‘‘Road feel is a little bit bumpy over the hard sections, but on smooth sections, it’s very smooth. There’s no real movement in the steering wheel and the tyre noise is fairly reasonable.

‘‘I’d happily pay mid-to-high $30,000s for it, equivalent to what I’d pay for a Golf. This is the 1.4; I’d pay more for a larger engine with more power – and if I could get a 150kW version I’d pay a lot more. Up to high $40,000s.

‘‘This car, I think, is for the Beetle enthusiast or the Volkswagen enthusiast. For someone who wants to stand out a little bit. But will that limit its appeal to other buyers? I don’t think so. Because it looks like the old car but it drives like a nice, new car in terms of its acceleration and its turning. I couldn’t see bogans getting up you for driving it – plus it’s got poke, engine-wise, so they’re not going to be stuck behind me. It’s something that I could live with all the time.

‘‘Obviously it’s much quieter than my car today, and the visibility is a lot better – for a start, you can see out the window properly!’’

Stephen Lynch, 35, lawyer

With a girlfriend, an apartment in a trendy suburb and exactly zero kids, Lynch fits the new Beetle’s less-obviously female-skewed demographic.We collect him at his office. ‘‘Ow! I just hurtmy arm reaching back for the seatbelt,’’ he jokes, climbing into the cabin (the tucked roofline and invisible sidepillar admittedly mean it’s rather a long way behind the driver’s shoulder). ‘‘I want to know who to blame.’’ Lawyers.

Elvis Jovanov, 35, Beetle enthusiast.

‘‘Not many guys I know are looking for a big-arse Commodore any more. The only reason to buy one of those is to impress your dad. I’d get cool points for having this. It feels funky and fun – and my girlfriend would love it, I’m sure.

‘‘It’s not manly, but it’s also not something that a man would be embarrassed to drive. It’s funky. I wouldn’t say it’s cool ... it’s fun.

‘‘I am very particular about my seating position – I like to be able to adjust it to sit quite high, which I’ve done. The dash plastics and the knobs and dials feel a little cheap but they’re all easy to understand. I like the retro panelling.

Stephen Lynch, 35, lawyer.

‘‘Steering feel is also very, very important to me. The Bug’s is sensitive but it’s not oversensitive. It feels pretty natural to be steering this around. Size is a pretty big plus factor for the convenience of being able to zip around the city and get into car parks.

‘‘I bought a near-new Mazda3 about three years ago. I was looking for a sedan or a coupe – I don’t need anything to cart kids around in at this stage, so I wanted something a bit sporty.

‘‘To me, this isn’t as ballsy as a coupe. It’s testicle-free motoring. But that’s not bad; I drove a Pulsar Q for several years, I’ve got a high tolerance. I’d feel pretty good rocking up to a barbecue in this car.

‘‘It’s unique. I like the old Bug nostalgia. To be honest, it’s definitely got as much guts as I need. If I wanted something that I was going to demand more of, I wouldn’t buy a car like this. Smaller cars are about convenience and fun rather than serious grunt. I don’t really get hot hatches – tome, any small car is a bit girly.

‘‘In conclusion, I like it. Although the fact that it hasn’t got a vase, I mean, really – c’mon, Volkswagen, go one way or the other: either have a vase, or have something that chops off the end of your cigars ...’’

Anna Kennedy, 29, cool inner-city type

A rising digital content manager and touring and operations coordinator at band merchandise guru Love Police, Kennedy lives in an enviable urban cafe and bar hub. She sits squarely in the Beetle’s easy-fit cool, young female professional demographic.

‘‘To me, the decision about which car to buy is based about 80 per cent on its looks,’’ she says, smiling. ‘‘I was just thinking the other day, ‘Why don’t people make cars like they used to?’ Because the new ones are so ugly and the old ones are so good-looking! How the car looks is definitely as important as how it performs – definitely.

‘‘I like cars with retro styling. I think they made things in the old days with more style than now – everything now looks like it’s been made on a computer. To some extent a car is an expression of yourself. You choose it based on your personality. For example [gesturing towards a Ferrari], that guy’s a bit of a wanker! [laughs].

‘‘This feels like a girl’s car, but I can see some guys driving it. I like the shape of this a lot better than the old New Beetle ... This one has the same cool lines as the original Beetle, and I love the old Beetles.

‘‘This has got the basic shape of the original. It’s a cool nod to how good the old retro design is compared to what’s around now. That’s why people wear vintage stuff, really, isn’t it? The shininess of the dash really makes it look luxurious. I really like the interior panels. It’s like a shiny new bike. It will probably date soon, but I don’t care.

‘‘My driving style is ‘cautious grandma’. I drive retro! I’m old for my years. I’m definitely not fast and funky; I’m cruisy. This car is fun, bright, shiny and new. ‘‘German? It’s a Berliner. If it was a person it would be looking for a space to squat in Berlin. Perhaps an artist’s studio. I can see myself driving it to the beach to get gelato!’’

As with other retro models, such as the Mini and the Fiat 500, the new Beetle knows that it has to bring a touch of authenticity to the table. The impression of quality in the cabin is, oddly, not knocked offkilter by cheap plastics on the dash and tinny switches and controls. It’s also dynamically better, despite slight wooliness in the steering feel and some choppiness over unsettled tarmac – which is to say, it does enough.

The Beetle’s market shop with their hearts. With improved but still authentic styling and genuinely loving historic flourishes – especially the glovebox – it’s fun. The 2013 Beetle pleases the people it’s supposed to ... even if it won’t thrill everyone else. VW won’t be complaining. If you want a driver’s hatch, they’ll put you into a Golf.